Rhea

Rhea is a female first name that has its origins in Greek and Roman mythology.

What does the name Rhea mean?

The name Rhea, also spelled Rhéa (Ῥέα), is often associated with the meanings 'the flowing', 'the river', or 'the stream'. Its roots lie in the ancient Greek term rhéō (ῥέω), which stands for 'river' and 'stream'. In mythology, Rhea was the wife of the Titan Cronus (Roman Saturn) and the mother of Hestia (Roman Vesta), Poseidon (Roman Neptune), Hades (Roman Orcus), Hera (Roman Juno), and Zeus (Roman Jupiter). To protect her children from Cronus, who swallowed them out of fear of losing power after their birth, Rhea hid her son Zeus on the island of Crete and gave Cronus a wrapped stone instead. Later, Zeus defeated his father and became the ruler of Olympus. Rhea Sylvia is considered the mother of Romulus and Remus. Other variants of the name include Rea, Rheia, and Rheie.

Where does the name Rhea come from?

The name Rhea has ancient Greek origins and means 'the flowing'. The ancient Greek word rhéō (ῥέω) stands for 'river' and 'stream'. The language is Greek.

How do you pronounce Rhea?

The pronunciation of the name Rhea is soft and flowing. In Germany, it is often pronounced as 'Re-a' [ˈʁeːa] or 'Ri-a' [ˈʁiːa]. The combination of the two open vowels creates a bright sound movement, while the gentle onset gives the name an elegant touch. The open 'a' at the end conveys a sense of warmth and expansiveness. Overall, Rhea sounds graceful and fine – feminine, light, and timeless.

Popularity

In Germany, Rhea is among the common first names. The name currently ranks 902nd on the list of the most popular female first names. Its best ranking was achieved in 2008 with 286th place. In the last ten years, Rhea has been given as a first name around 400 times, placing it 997th in the ten-year statistics. For the period from 2010 to 2024, it ranks 1,107th.

Nicknames & pet names

Ray / Rehli / Remi / Rhe / Rhechen / Rheli / Rhey / Römm

Similar first names

Famous people

• Armine Rhea Mendoza (writer from the Philippines)
• Margaret Rhea Seddon (American astronaut)
• Rhea (astronomy) (moon of the planet Saturn)
• Rhea Alexandra DeVlugt (American actress)
• Rhea Bailey (English actress)
• Rhea Carmi (artist from Israel)
• Rhea Durham (American model)
• Rhea Fairbairn (Canadian tennis player)
• Rhea Galanaki (Greek writer)
• Rhea Harder (actress)
• Rhea Harder-Vennewald (actress from Germany)
• Rhea Kapoor (Indian film producer)
• Rhea Kewalramani (film director from India)
• Rhea Koch (author)
• Rhea Kohan (American writer)
• Rhea Mitchell (actress from America)
• Rhea Perlman (American actress)
• Rhea Perlmann (actress)
• Rhea Pillai (model from India)
• Rhea Seehorn (American actress)